A Very Hobbity Christmas
by starry-oblivion
Summary: A look into the Yuletide celebrations of the Shire in the sixth year of the Fourth Age, after the War of the Ring, with some Tookish hijinks.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**- Hobbits do indeed celebrate a midwinter holiday called Yule, and they celebrate it for six days. The six-day celebration was known as Yuletide. However, as I do not know what their customs for this holiday are (other than "feasts and merriment"), I'm simply incorporating Christmas traditions into the story, such as candy canes and the like. (Also, it was a Christmas request for a friend, further explaining its Christmassy aspects.)

Also note that _all_ characters mentioned herein are hobbits created by JRR Tolkien, with the exception of Bando, Pippin's nephew. Pippin had three sisters, but none of them appear to have had children.

* * *

"Merry, not over there!"

Merry turned back to the younger hobbit, trying hard not to fall down. He was standing at the top of a ladder, attempting to add decorations to the taller branches on the Hobbiton Yuletide tree. "Then _where_, Pippin?" He was getting more and more frustrated as time went on. If there was one person he hated being bossed around by, it was his younger cousin.

"That ornament needs to be three branches higher, at _least_," Pippin called up, trying to view the entire tree. "Otherwise, there'll be too much green on that side."

"For goodness sake, Pip, it's a _tree_! It's _supposed_ to be green! Besides, if you're such an expert on the festive decorating of foliage, then why aren't _you_ up here doing this? You _are_ the tallest person around, you understand." As soon as Pippin realized what Merry was saying, he began walking away hastily. "Er, because, I already have a job, you know!" Kneeling on the ground besides a long string and a large bowl of popped corn, he added with a smirk, "_Some_one has got to string all of this popped corn." Merry glanced back just as the younger hobbit popped a handful of the snack food into his mouth, causing him to roll his eyes.

Yuletide was fast approaching in the Shire. The green hills rolled gently across houses decorated in red, mostly poinsettias. Pippin looked admiringly at the town, noting that the poinsettias generally came from the garden of none other than Samwise Gamgee. Looking back up at his companion, Pippin asked, "And where is our esteemed Mayor, the Great Gamgee? I haven't seen him since this morning! And put that ornament a bit more to the left and it'll be perfect!"

Ignoring Pippin's direction, Merry answered, "Last I heard, he was talking about Bag End with one of the Bagginses." Tightening his scarf around his throat and looking towards Bag End, Pippin marveled, "Not old Ponto! He'll drive him balmy before the holidays come along!" Standing and grabbing a candy cane out of a nearby box, he said, "I'm going to go over there and see if I can rescue him."

Even as Pippin began to walk away, Merry yelled down, "Pippin, this is _Sam_ we're talking about. I'm sure he can handle himself against a distempered hobbit." Unwrapping the striped treat, Pippin remarked, "Merry, this is _Ponto _we're talking about! It's not like Sam's facing a mere Balrog, after all."

With the candy cane in his mouth and Merry looking after him skeptically, Pippin began making his way to Bag End.

* * *

"Hallo, Baggins!"

Sam could hear the sound of Ponto's muttering as the older hobbit yanked the door open, followed by a surprised gasp when he saw a tall young hobbit standing outside with a grin.

"Peregrin Took, what are you trying to do to me?" Ponto nearly growled as Pippin sidestepped him and walked into the house. Without responding to the older hobbit, Pippin turned to the Gamgee family and waved his arm broadly. "Hallo, Gamgees!" Like a high-pitched flash, six-year-old Elanor and four-year-old Frodo ran towards Pippin as he fell to his knees in front of them. "Uncle Pippin! Uncle Pippin! Uncle Pippin's here!"

"Oh lovely," Sam mumbled as Ponto left huffily.

Rosie Gamgee smiled warmly as she stood, baby Rose in her arms, and walked towards their new visitor. "G'afternoon, Pippin." Amidst hugs and giggles and attempting to keep his candy cane from getting into Elanor's golden hair, Pippin looked up at Rosie and grinned. "Hallo there, Rosie. Ah!" He craned his neck to look at the smaller child Rosie was holding onto. "And Baby Rose. She's getting bigger all the time!" Noting the belly on Rosie, Pippin laughed and joke, "And so's the future baby. Now, will that one be a Peregrin, or a Peregrina?"

"To what do we owe this _unexpected _visit, Pippin?" Pippin looked up at Sam, who obviously was not pleased with having to deal with Ponto, so it would probably have been in Pippin's best interest to make the visit short. Of course, Pippin rarely ever knew what lay in his best interests. "Sam, you look a bit tired." Offering the remainder of the candy he had in his hands, Pippin queried, "Candy cane?"

Upon seeing the candy cane, realization came to Sam's eyes. "Oh, darn, I've forgotten about helping you with the tree!" As Sam scattered to get his jacket, Pippin began, "Tree? Oh! Yes! The Yuletide tree! It's coming along quite nicely. I'm stringing the popped corn. Merry's decorating the higher parts right now." Talking now to the children, as it appeared that he could hold their attention no matter what he said, Pippin continued as Rosie gingerly gave him Rose to hold so that she may help Sam with his coat. "He says that _I_ should do the higher parts, because I'm taller. But he always argued that _he _was the tallest of us! Shows how quick-witted he is, doesn't it? Next time we have an argument about height, let's hope he remembers today!" Looking down at Rose, he noted her eye color and exclaimed, "My, what a lovely shade of blue!"

Elanor giggled as she told him, "Uncle Pippin, her eyes are green!" As Frodo giggled along with his elder sister, Pippin stated, "Green, that's what I said! Obviously! Who can miss the pure greenness of her eyes?" His jacket ready, Sam said, "Come on, Pippin!" Standing and giving the baby back to her mother, Pippin mumbled, "Maybe I should let _Merry_ decide which colored ornaments go where."

Waving goodbye to the good-natured family, Pippin followed Sam back to the tree.

* * *

"How's about a brew for the ol' gaffer, eh?"

Sam looked up at the glasses Merry and Pippin offered him and his elderly father and gently shook his head. "No, he can't have none of that anymore."

"Says who, you whippersnapper?" Sam gave his father a sideways glance as the younger hobbits sat opposite them. The three of them had just finished decorating the tree, and went into the Ivy Bush for a drink to warm them up. Sam settled for hot cider while Merry and Pippin didn't seem to mind the two extra glasses of ale they now had in front of them. They had encountered Sam's father sitting in his usual spot, since his caretaker's son ran the inn. "Widow Rumble says so, sir. Says it gives you the jitters."

"Bah, that old woman's crazy!" Merry snickered into his glass as he told the gaffer, "You're one to talk about her being an 'old woman!' She's over twenty years younger than you are!" Pippin and Sam chuckled at that, and Merry and the gaffer began having a conversation on the prospects of age. Pippin took this time to look towards Sam and begin a topic that had been weighing on his mind for quite some time. "Sam, I've got something to say." With a sip of his cider, Sam murmured, "Don't you _always_?"

"Well, you may have noticed that I've grown more serious lately." Sam had to force himself to stop drinking lest he spit out his drink. "More serious? You? How do you go figurin' that?" Pippin blinked up at him. "Well… I… uh…. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… there's this girl."

"A girl?"

"A woman, really."

"A woman?"

"All right, she's a friend."

"Pippin," Sam broke in, realizing where this was going. "Aren't you still a bit young for this whole romantic nonsense?" A moment of silence, then, "Sam, I'm 37." Sam blinked. "Thirty-seven? You?"

"Yes."

"Well… you're still young!"

"_You_ were only 40 when you were married!"

"Yes, but-"

"And you would've married Rosie earlier had it not have been for the whole Ring business."

Sam sighed. "All right, all right, fine. Let's get off the age topic. Why are you coming to me with this?" Pippin gave Sam a half smile as he said, "You're the only one I talk to who has any experience with women at all. Have you ever _seen_ Merry with a-" Without missing a word in his conversation or even turning to his cousin, Merry hit Pippin soundly in the back of the head and carried on with what he was saying. Vaguely amused, Sam queried, "So I'm assumin' that you and him had this talk already?"

"As much of it as we could discuss," Pippin answered sorely, rubbing the spot that had just been abused. "Please, Sam, you've got to give me at least _some_ advice!" Sam responded, "Advice on _what_? If you like the girl, then just talk to her!"

"I _have_ been talking to her, Sam."

"For how long?"

"… eight years, give or take."

Sam was amazed. "Eight _years_? You can hardly keep your attention on something for eight _minutes_!" Pippin peered into his nearly-empty glass. "I know. Isn't it amazing?" He paused for a moment, then said, "I met her at your wedding."

"My wedding?" Pippin nodded. "She that stout girl from Long Cleeve?" Pippin nodded again. "Her name's Diamond. Isn't that a pretty name?" Sam shifted in his seat. His relationship with Rosie was based mostly on years of pining and then finally gaining the courage to speak to her after a near-death experience. He was in no position to lecture Pippin on romance. "Yes, I reckon it's a rather pretty name. But Pip-"

"The thing is, I've heard that Bando's also taken a shine to her." Sam stopped. That _did_ cause some complications. "Bando, your nephew?" Pippin nodded. "I don't know what to do, Sam. Diamond looks at me like I'm a friend, but I don't even know where I stand compared to Bando. And competing with my own family—that's just not good form. It makes me feel like- watch out, she's coming!"

Pippin's eyes had been averted for only a moment, but he quickly caught sight of the girl in question and slipped out of his seat, turning away. Sam looked behind him and saw her, realizing that she was accompanied by the athletic young hobbit Bando, son of Pippin's eldest sister Pearl. Turning back to Pippin, Sam saw that he had made his way to the bar, hunching his shoulders as though trying to duck his head between his shoulder blades. With a smirk, Sam muttered, "Silly Took."

"That's what I told him," Merry said as Sam turned his attention back to the other two at the table. "He always fumbles when it's important, but can't shut up when he's gabbing about menial business. Speaking of menial business, I'm out of ale." He took his glass and stood, heading for the bar, when his name rang out. "Meriadoc Brandybuck!" Merry stopped, surprised, as Diamond and Bando approached him. "D-Diamond! H-hello! Uh, a-and hi there, Bando."

"Merry," Bando exclaimed, "good to see you!" He embraced his mother's cousin heartily, though the older hobbit loomed over Bando like a tree. "Hey, have you seen Uncle Pippin? Diamond's been looking for him everywhere, and I figured we'd find you, since you two are always together!" Diamond interrupted with, "And you were right! I see him getting a drink. Peregrin Took, are you trying to hide back there?"

As she went off to speak to the nervous hobbit, Merry looked down at Sam and the gaffer, his expression illustrating his current awkwardness. Into his glass, Sam remarked, "Fumbler." Bando looked down, noticing the Gamgees for the first time. "Mayor Gamgee! And Gaffer Gamgee, too! How's it going? Hey, are you ready for this year's Yuletide?" Marveling at the similarities in the garrulous uncle-and-nephew pair, Sam answered, "My speech is all writ and Rosie's almost done with the trim of the new dress she's making. I'd say we're about ready."

"Rosie. Wow. Hey, when's the new baby due?"

"Should be any day now."

"Hoping for a boy or a girl? And what're you naming it?"

Merry broke in and said, "I think Meriadoc's a particularly fine name." Bando laughed. "I bet you do." Merry insisted, "No, really! Think about it; Meriadoc means happiness, gaiety! And what better to name a child that's going to be born during the Yuletide?" Bando and the gaffer laughed, and Sam said, "Well, I'll talk it over with Rosie. It would probably be best to discover if it's a boy or a girl before we go naming her."

"Naming _her_?" Sam's father raised an eyebrow at him. "Looks like someone knows what he wants his next child to be." Sam shrugged. "As it stands, the girls have been easier to raise than little Frodo by himself." Merry smirked. "Watch you be plagued with not only the next child being a boy, but a boy after that, too! And if they are, I'd say they get named after me and Pip. After all, where'd you be if not for us?"

"I don't know. Where _would_ I be?"

Merry blinked and mulled it over for some time, eliciting another laugh from the group. Grinning sheepishly, Merry responded. "Not here, that's for sure!" Glancing over at Pippin, Sam thought, _Which is where Pippin looks like he wants to be._ Looking in the direction of Sam's glance, Bando looked behind them, at Pippin and Diamond. "She's pretty, isn't she?"

Merry and Sam looked at Bando at the same time, muttering affirmations such as "Yes, sure. Beautiful." They shared a moment of looking at one another as Bando continued to look at the pair. _Poor Pippin_, their eyes seemed to convey to one another. Turning back to the others, Bando said, "Finally, I'm going to have some cousins. And they'll be adorable, too."

"Cousins?" Merry asked.

"Well sure. Any kids that Uncle Pippin has are my cousins."

Sam couldn't stifle a laugh. "So then, you _don't_ have feelings for Diamond?" Bando gaped at Sam, genuinely shocked. "Feelings? For Diamond? No, of course not! She and Uncle Pippin have been friends for years! The problem is, his mind's still in his early tweens, so she's been coming to me for advice on what to do about him." Merry began howling with laughter and, much to Bando's confusion, Sam and even the gaffer joined in. After the hysterics died down, Merry explained the situation to Bando.

Seeing Pippin casting them a bewildered glance, Sam grinned at him.

* * *

"I still don't understand what all of the laughing was about."

Merry chuckled at Pippin as they walked home that night. "Don't worry about it, Pip." The sandy-haired hobbit was chewing into a pear thoughtfully as he pondered over the cause of the laughter. "I mean, I can understand you all laughing at me, but there was no reason to bring Bando into it, if you were insulting me, that is." Opening the door to their home, Merry responded, "You worry about the most absurd things, you know that?"

Once inside, Pippin threw the remainder of his pear away and reached for an apple from a bowl in the kitchen. Turning on the light, Merry scolded, "Can't you go two minutes without food in your mouth?" Sitting in his favorite chair in their sitting room, Pippin replied, "No! It's my only source of comfort. Well… after ale, that is."

"Which is after pipeweed."

"Which is after sleep."

The two hobbits laughed at their own discussion. "I tell you," Merry began half-jokingly as he sunk into his own chair across from Pippin, "if you don't shape up, it would take a miracle to get Diamond to look at you." Pippin quieted down at the mention of Diamond. At length, he finally said, "I think I'm giving up on Diamond." Sitting straight up in surprise, Merry exclaimed, "What! Why?"

Pippin sighed. "When she was talking to me at the inn today, all she talked about was how she spent the afternoon with Bando and Bando this and Bando that. I may be a bit dense, but not so much that I can't see what that means." Trying not to be angry at his housemate, Merry told him, "Of course not. You're even _more_ dense than that!" Pippin asked what he meant, and Merry stated, "Look. What did you talk to her about?"

"Trimming the tree with you and Sam."

"So does that mean that you prefer mine and Sam's company more than hers?"

"If she'd rather be with Bando, then I'd say yes."

"Would you _forget _about Bando for a minute?" Pippin looked down, chewing his apple quietly. Moving a small hand through his hair, Merry said, "Look, she was just making conversation. She wouldn't hang around you for as long as she has just so she can give up on you now and become interested in your nephew." Realization coming into his eyes, Pippin snapped his fingers as he breathed, "Unless she was just using her friendship with me as a way to get closer to Bando!" With a groan, Merry reached over for the small pillow he was leaning against and chucked it at Pippin, hitting him squarely in the face.

"Pip, I said _forget_ about Bando! The first day of the Yuletide celebration is the day after tomorrow. Now, you're going to wake up early tomorrow, brush your hair, put some decent clothes on, and march yourself over to Diamond's house and ask her to go with you to the party!"

Bitterly, Pippin responded, "Only if you do the same with that Estella Bolger girl you've been eyeing!" Shocked, Merry remarked, "Estella Bolger? Fatty's sister? Are you insane?" Tossing the pillow back towards Merry, Pippin smirked as he said, "Don't pretend it's not noticeable! Even Fatty himself remarked it to me the other day!" Throwing the pillow back, Merry spoke through gritted teeth. "Liar!"

"Bully!"

"Baby!"

The pillow thrown between them at every word, it soon got to the point where the two hobbits lunged at one another, making comments that had nothing to do with their previous conversation. "I'm taller!" "Says you!" "Smallfoot!"

Such were the evenings in the home of Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck.


	2. Chapter 2

The day began with a light tapping at Merry's window.

He slowly opened his eyes… and fell off his bed, calling out in fright as he saw a shadowed hooded figure at his window. "Merry, it's me!" Merry peered up from the side of his bed and saw Bando removing the hood from his head. Breathing a sigh of relief, Merry stood and opened the window, flinching in the cold. "Bando! You've scared me half to death!" Bando then remembered that his hood and cloak looked somewhat like that of his uncle's description of the Ringwraiths that Pippin's Fellowship had to fight against. "Sorry, Merry. I wouldn't have worn it if it weren't for the snow."

Merry craned his neck and saw that a good deal of snow had fallen sometime during the night and large white flakes were currently drifting over the Shire. "Ah, just in time for Yule," Merry murmured. Bando looked up. "Yup, it's making for a pretty holiday. I got up early to shovel some of it from my yard so my mother wouldn't fall. Was wondering if you and Uncle Pippin would like some help, since you live in such a bigger place." Rubbing his shoulders from the cold, "Merry remarked, "I don't know where you come up with this whole responsibility thing, coming from our family. First of all, come in through the front door, like _normal_ hobbits." With that, he closed the window and Bando moved towards the front of the house as Merry grabbed a jacket from his chair and put it on.

Letting the younger hobbit in through the front, Merry asked, "Why didn't you knock on the door in the first place? Pippin would've let you in." Unbuttoning his jacket in the warmth of the house, Bando responded, "I did. I knocked for a few minutes, both here and on Uncle Pippin's window, but no one answered. I thought maybe the two of you were already having breakfast or arguing in your room or something." Puzzling over this, since he knew Pippin to be a reasonably light sleeper, Merry murmured, "Hmph, that's odd."

Brushing back his hair with one hand and rubbing sleep out of his eyes with the other, Merry made his way over to Pippin's bedroom door. Knocking, he called, "Pip? Hey Pip, you awake?" Turning the knob and peering into the room, he said, "Bando's here. It's snowing out. How's about a snowball match, eh?" He stopped when he saw that the room was empty. "Hmm." Stepping into the room, Merry looked around. The bed was made, and it seemed that the entire contents of Pippin's wardrobe were on the floor. Looking in, Bando commented, "Well, looks like Uncle Pip's an early riser today, too."

His eyes going over the entire room once again, Merry muttered, "That's _very_ odd."

* * *

"All right, Peregrin… you can do this."

Pippin repeated the words to himself as though they were a sacred mantra. He enjoyed the snow, but he began growing anxious as the precipitation dampened his clothing, after he had turned his room inside-out in search of just the right outfit. He felt suffocated, made-up, and wholly uncomfortable. But that didn't stop the fact that Merry was right; if he didn't shape up, Diamond would ultimately choose the company of Bando over his own. Pippin and Bando liked one another for their similarities and loved one another for their differences, but that didn't mean that Pippin was going to let an eight-year courtship (though he had only realized it was a courtship recently) go to waste.

"Pippin! What are _you_ doing here?"

At first he thought that he was asking himself this question, but soon realized that it was a girl's voice calling out to him over the strong wind. Turning towards the voice, he saw none other than Diamond waving to him from the expanse of trees that grew behind her family's property, wearing a burgundy velvet cloak and a broad grin, carrying a large basket in her other hand. Gulping, Pippin asked himself what _was _he doing there as he approached her. "Hallo, Diamond!"

As he neared her, she tightened her cloak around her as she said, "I was just getting some berries for Mother's pies together before the weather decided to act up. I'd never think I'd have seen you walking around this area in this weather… and at this time of day! I always took you for a late sleeper, Peregrin Took!" Scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously, he replied, "Yes… well… I couldn't sleep. And as for the weather, this really isn't all that cold, compared to some of the places I've been."

"That's right! _You've_ seen mountains!" Excited now, Diamond took his arm and peered up at him as she led him towards a trail amidst the trees. "Walk with me and tell me some more of your adventures, Pippin!"

"But Diamond! I've told you everything! At least dozens of times each!"

"Well, tell me again! You know how much I love a good story! And I _do_ hate having to coerce that nephew of yours to tell them to me."

"Bando? You have Bando tell you my stories?"

"That's right," she replied as Pippin began to willingly walk with her. "I don't see you nearly enough for my tastes, so I ask him to tell me all about his great uncle. And stories are no fun unless told straight from the person they happened to. Oh please, Pippin, as a Yuletide present! Just walk with me for a bit this morning and tell me about the evil Lord Denethor and his brave son Faramir!"

_So, Bando even tells her my stories, does he?_ Pippin took this as a good sign. If, during her time spent with Bando, Diamond still wanted to hear about Pippin's exploits, then he still had a chance, didn't he? Alas, Pippin's mind was indeed still in his early tweens, rendering him helpless in this situation. _If only my biggest problem was running away from an Orc._ That_ I can handle._

With this thought in mind, Pippin sighed and consented to Diamond's request.

* * *

"Where do you suppose Uncle Pippin went?"

Merry finished attiring himself in his warmest clothing as Bando inquired as to Pippin's whereabouts. The wind had picked up, as did the rate of the snowfall. "I don't know, Bando, but you can bet that the fool is probably off getting himself in trouble." The younger hobbit in tow, Merry threw open the front door and was hit with a particularly strong gust of wind. With a surprised squeak, Bando clutched Merry's arm for balance. "Ah! So much for having shoveled the walk for mum!"

Helping Bando regain his footing, Merry looked out about his property. "This is bad," he murmured. "The Shire's never had weather this bad, and Pippin's warmer clothes are strewn about his floor. What he was thinking of, I'll never know, but we should find him and get him somewhere warm."

"Don't you think Uncle Pippin can take care of himself?"

"No, but I'm sure _he_ thinks that he can, and that's what worries me."

Braving the outdoors, the two hobbits fought against the wind and began their search. "Hey," Bando said suddenly. "Maybe he's over at the Gamgees'! I know how much he likes their kids, and Bag End has a tremendous fireplace! Maybe he's taking cover there and playing with the little ones." Adjusting his scarf to protect his face, Merry stated, "I hope you're right."

Taking hold of Bando's arm, Merry began to lead them towards Bag End.

* * *

"Oh! My basket!"

"I'll get it, Diamond!" Lumbering after the woven basket that was now spraying a variety of berries every which way, Pippin added, "And stay there! The wind's gotten pretty bad!" His words could not have been more of an understatement. Grabbing hold of the basket handle, Pippin tripped and landed in the snow. The unexpected cold contact made him wish that he had dressed for warmth rather than appearance. _Stupid Merry and his stupid advice!_

"Pippin! Are you all right?" Getting to his knees and wiping snow off the front of his jacket, Pippin looked up to see Diamond right behind him, concerned. "I thought I told you to stay there!" She was about to reply when a loud _crack!_ was heard, and both hobbits turned just in time to see an enormous branch fall from a nearby tree and collapse right by the spot on which Diamond had been standing when she lost her basket. Aghast, Pippin turned to her and saw that she gave him a wry expression. "What was that you were saying?" Diamond asked sarcastically.

"Er, I was saying… I was saying it's time we get you back to your house!" Standing with the basket, Pippin took her arm and surveyed their surroundings. "Now, in which direction was it?" Diamond looked around, and Pippin realized with horror that she didn't know. The wind was blowing the falling snow all around them, erasing their footprints and seeming to trap them in a cylinder of white. "I- I'm not sure!"

Cold and scared, the pair was now also very much lost.

* * *

"Pippin? Not in bed at this time?"

"Please Sam, stop joking!" Merry was getting frustrated. Sam didn't seem anywhere near as concerned about the situation as he and Bando were. "Just look out the window!" With a casual glance, Sam responded, "I'm looking. And I see nothing but a small reminder of the much larger and more perilous weather at Caradhras. Remember, Merry, Pippin can handle himself around some wind and white stuff. As long as there are no Orcs around that he could alert or an important mission that he could foul up, he'll be fine." With a groan, Merry stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and yelled, "Now listen-!"

"Merry! Shhh!" Bando scolded. He was sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace, a mug of hot cider in his hands. Elanor and Frodo were sitting on the floor besides him, and were looking up at Merry with a look of half-confusion and half-fear. "Baby Rose is asleep and Rosie just went to lay down some. Where's your manners?"

Breathing deeply and trying to get his head on straight, Merry muttered an apology. "But Sam, there's got to be something you can do! Let me borrow Bill for a bit, maybe I can spot Pip and bring him back." Finally seeing Merry's genuine apprehension, Sam sighed, "Merry, you know that Bill's gettin' old. Plus, he's been a bit sick lately. I don't want to risk taking him out in this weather." With a noise of disgust, Merry bitterly remarked, "This weather's not fit for a pony, but it's well enough for a hobbit!"

"Merry!" Sam started, but was cut off by a flurry of knocks on the door. Getting up and walking towards the door, Sam told Merry, "Do me a favor and just calm down before we start this conversation up again!"

Answering the door, Sam saw a panting "Fatty" Bolger leaning against the doorframe. Because of his weight loss, Fatty was no longer referred to by his old nomenclature. "Fred! What can I do for you?" Stepping aside so that the visitor can come in, Sam wondered what the new calamity was.

"Sam! Have you… seen… Diamond of… Long Cleeve… by any chance?" Merry and Bando stood up at the mention of Diamond's name. "Er, the stout girl? No, I'm afraid I haven't. Is something wrong?" Fred entered the house and collapsed in the first chair he found, trying to steady his breathing. "I dunno," he responded. "My sister and I were over at her place to help her old mother with the baking for tomorrow's feast, and Estella says that Diamond went out to get more fruit for the pies just as the snow started coming down like this. She's worried sick, and so's Diamond's mum. Her mother's suggested I find some strong friends to go combing through the small woods in the back of their place, so I thought I'd run over here. What luck to find those two here with you," he finished, pointing towards Merry and Bando.

Bando turned to Merry. "Diamond's gone missing, too! What are the odds!" Suddenly remembering his conversation with Pippin the previous night, Merry exclaimed, "Pretty high! I'd bet we're likely to find two hobbits at once instead of just one or the other!" His strength slowly returning, Fred sat up and asked, "So you're willing to help search, then? Great! Just give me a moment to regain my senses."

"Oh no, you don't," Sam said, walking towards Fred and giving him a mug of steaming hot cider. "The snow's blinding out there. When I stop to think of it, the only ones in the Shire who's fit to go out in that mess are Merry and I. You and Bando stay here and watch my children, okay?"

"No way!" Bando called, already putting his cloak on. "I'm coming with you! Pippin's _my_ uncle and Diamond's more my friend than she is yours or Merry's! Besides, if we stick together, there's no reason why I can't handle myself!" Reluctantly, Merry agreed. "He's stronger than both of us, Sam. And besides, I'll bet your kids want _their_ 'Uncle Pippin' back as soon as possible, too!" Elanor looked up at Sam, and before she could even say a word, he relented.

"Fine. But no horsing around! A quick comb of the woods, and we all stick together!"

* * *

"Come on! Just keep in a straight line!"

Pippin led Diamond through the trees, trying very hard not to panic. It was just some snow and wind; nowhere near as bad as the mess up in Redhorn. _But at least there, we had Aragorn and Gandalf with us. Here, Diamond's relying on _me Trying not to let the thought frighten him, Pippin pressed on.

"Pippin," Diamond gasped, "how do you know we're going the right way?" _I don't_, he thought, but didn't tell her that. "I don't need to know," he told her. "If we just keep going straight, we'll get out of this mess of trees soon enough, and then be able to find the way back to your house."

"B-but Pippin," she argued. "If we're headed northward, we'll wind up straight in Bywater Brook! Or even worse, the lake!" He was about to tell her that that was a chance that they were just going to have to take, when he realized that there was no ground underfoot. "W-whoa!"

Instinctively dropping Diamond's hand so she wouldn't follow, Pippin felt himself dropping down a sharp incline. "Pippin!" Shielding his face with his arms, Pippin landed on his stomach with a heavy thud and found himself sliding. _Strange… since when does fresh snow "thud?"_ Trying to stand, Pippin only made it into a crouching position when he realized what he had landed on. Eyes widening, he held his breath, daring not even to breathe until he saw Diamond carefully making her way down the incline. "Diamond!" Pippin called crisply. "Stay there!"

"But Pippin-!"

"Stay. There."

Unheeding of his orders, Diamond continued on her way. Pippin stood and hoped for the best. A thin crack could be heard beneath his feet. With a shudder, he braced himself and pushed himself forward. Unfortunately, Diamond decided that she would make her trip shorter by sliding the rest of the way down. Before he could call out to her, she landed heavily on the ice right in front of him. "Pippin, are you-?" Another sharp crack invaded his ears, and this time Diamond heard it even as Pippin took hold of her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Get out of here," he told her hurriedly with a firm push.

No sooner had he pushed her away did he feel the ground beneath him give away and a sharp coldness stung his whole body as he fell underwater.

* * *

"So _this _is Long Cleeve."

Merry had heard of the northern town from Pippin many times, but he had never had a reason to go there. Looking at the "small" woods behind Diamond's family property and observing the white haze and howling wind, he scratched his head. "Great! How are we supposed to find them in _this_ mess?" His arms crossed over his chest, Sam responded, "_You're_ the one that wanted to play the part of the hero, weren't you?" _That Pippin_, Sam thought as he shivered. _Something good had _better_ come out of this. _

"I still say we have a more likely chance of finding them if we split up," Bando said. "That may be true," Sam answered, "but we'd also have a _less_ likely chance of finding _one another_ if we split up. Now come on."

They had decided that rather than entangling themselves in the midst of the trees, they would walk the perimeter of the woods, visually searching the interior as best as they could. Diamond was last seen with her Yuletide cloak on, and the deep red would surely stand out against the white and brown and green. If this proved fruitless, they would search within, but only in a straight line. It would be all too ironic for the search party to get lost.

As they were near the end of the western stretch of the trees, a high-pitched scream echoed through the barren morning. Startled, Merry stopped in his tracks and pulled at Sam, who had also stopped. Bando, however, looked towards the direction of the scream and widened his eyes. "Diamond!" As he bolted in the direction of the shriek, Sam unfroze. "Bando, come back! It's too dangerous!"

Seeing that the young hobbit was ignoring him, Sam followed him with Merry chasing quickly.

* * *

"I think he's coming to."

A warm stinging invaded Pippin's cheeks as he slowly opened his eyes. He heard a soft crackling of fire and felt scratchy but warm wool covering him up to his chin. "Pippin? Pippin, can you hear me?" Disoriented at first, Pippin's eyes managed to focus on Diamond's worried face gazing down at him. "Diamond," he groaned, then flinched. His lips stung worse than the rest of his body, it seemed, forcing him into reticence for the first time in his life.

"Pippin!"

"Pip!"

Turning his eyes away from Diamond, he saw an ecstatic pair of hobbits rush over to his bed. Sam and Merry made their way to his side, grinning. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that, again!" Merry exclaimed. "We thought we lost you." The quieter of the two, Sam explained, "We were out lookin' for you and heard Diamond screaming near the brook and Bando rushed over. Without stopping to think, he threw himself into the hole you made in the ice and fished you out. Merry had to help him get you out, though, since you're far too heavy for him."

"Bando?" Pippin murmured with difficulty. "Is he...?"

"I'm fine." Merry and Sam stepped aside as Bando entered, holding two steaming mugs. "We were more worried about you. You swallowed a lot of water, and had been wearing far less than I was. Once we got it out of you and got your circulation working again, all was well. I was in the kitchen with Diamond's mum, Uncle Pip. She made us some hot chocolate." Offering him one of the mugs as Diamond gingerly helped Pippin sit up, Bando grinned widely. "There's also some fresh-baked cookies, courtesy of Estella Bolger, but she won't let me near them. 'Course, she was so happy that _Merry_ helped save her best friend, that she blessed him with a handful or seven." Pippin noticed that Merry's pockets were bulging with cookies, and the latter hobbit looked away stubbornly.

"Well," he defended, "I _did_ carry Pip, so I deserve an extra reward."

* * *

"Have some buttered bread."

Pippin shook his head. "No thanks, Diamond. I couldn't possibly eat anymore. You've been doing nothing but feeding me since I woke up." With a mock pout, Diamond asked, "Well, isn't that supposed to be an admirable quality in a woman?" Trying his best not to look nervous once again, Pippin stated, "Well, yes. And it is. But-"

"And besides, you _did_ help keep me safe today, Mr. Took."

"Safe? Diamond, are you joking?"

"What do you mean?"

With a heavy sigh, Pippin said, "I didn't do anything but foul things up. If you hadn't seen me, you would've been safe at home before the blizzard started. If I had any sense of direction, we would have never gotten lost, and I wouldn't have led us in the opposite direction of your house, right into the brook."

"Yes," Diamond quickly interjected. "But if it weren't for me dropping my basket, we would have never gotten lost. If I had stayed put when you told me to, we wouldn't have gotten in so much danger. And if _you_ hadn't pushed me out of the brook, I would have fallen into the ice, and I wouldn't have been able to scream and direct our friends to us."

"Even so…."

"Even so, Peregrin Took, you're a hero. And besides… I wouldn't have asked you to tell me stories about the War of the Ring if I didn't want to be with you." She said the last part quietly, lending it an even deeper air of sincerity. Pippin looked at her, and was surprised to see that she was looking down as she sat besides him on the bed, her fingers fumbling over the slice of bread on a plate that she had brought him.

"Diamond." At his low mention of her name, she quickly looked up at him, almost expectantly. Swallowing hard, Pippin summoned all of his courage and said, "Bando did a brave thing today. I think that someone like him… someone that strong, that smart, that brave… I think someone like him would be a very smart match for you." As he spoke, Diamond's face fell. He, however, did not see that, as he was looking down. He didn't want to say those words, but he knew they were right. He just messed things up. Gandalf always said it, Frodo always said it, and Sam and Merry continue to say it. Sensing Diamond standing from the bed, Pippin sighed again as he conceded defeat. Nothing could prepare him for the words that followed.

"Ooh, you fool of a Took!"

Upon hearing the familiar phrase, Pippin gaped at Diamond. The plate was put aside and her arms were crossed over her chest. She gazed down at the surprised hobbit in annoyance and exhaustion.

"I don't _want_ a smart match! I want _you_!"

* * *

"Why, Miss. Gamgee! That's a smart-looking dress you're wearing!"

"Thank you, Bando!" Elanora smiled happily as she looked up at Bando, who was accompanied by his mother Pearl. All of the Shire turned up for the first night of the Yule feast, even the crotchety old Ponto Baggins. Despite the fierce snow that had attacked them the morning before, the hobbits proved once again to be remarkably resilient. The broken ornaments on the large Yuletide tree were replaced, the food was cooked and ready, and roads were paved to allow for safe travel for all of the Shirelings.

Pouring two glasses of ale, Pippin was intercepted by Fred Bolger. "How're you holding up, old chum?" Taking a sip of the first glass, Pippin responded, "Fine! It's remarkable… I hardly feel like I was frozen solid just 24 hours ago!" With a good-natured laugh, Fred replied, "Well, it might have to do with that new jewel of yours! Hey, look who's here! That bandit Meriadoc!"

Turning, Pippin saw Merry adjusting the collar on his new shirt and fixing his hair. "What was that you called me, Fatty?" Another good-natured laugh, and Fred faded away into the crowd. Looking at Pippin, Merry's eyes widened in delight. "Oh, good boy, Pip! Thanks for pouring me a glass!" Pulling the glass away from Merry's outstretched hand, Pippin said, "Sorry, Merry. This one's for Diamond."

"Diamond!"

"Yeah. You know, that whole speech you gave me about putting on my best clothes and brushing my hair, it all actually worked. True, not in the way you were thinking, probably, but it worked." With a grin, Merry cried, "You _rascal_! 'Too sick to come home,' my left foot! You were probably making out like a fiend." Drinking from his glass again, Pippin smirked, "Those who can, _do_."

Before Merry could ask for all of the details, Sam stood up from his seat and called for the attention of the guests. Pippin dragged Merry to sit with him and Diamond, and Estella Bolger moved from her seat besides Diamond to sit closer to Merry. After Sam's long and arduous greetings (which both of the young male hobbits in question could not concentrate on because of their lovely companions), Mayor Gamgee began to talk of things more interesting and with more resonance to the holiday at hand.

"My friends, this is a time of peace and prosperity that all of us, young and old, can enjoy. This is a time of love, of true fellowship. I look at you all and see not neighbors, not friends, but family, tried and true. And, as such, I would like to share with you some very happy news. Early this morning, my wife, Rosie, gave birth to a baby boy."

Applause and cries of surprise and happiness abound, along with a few shouts of "What're you calling it?" With a smile, Sam put his hands up to signal for silence. "After some deliberation and discussion, Rosie and I have decided upon the perfect name. In keeping with the season in which our new child was born, we could think of no better name to call him than… Meriadoc Gamgee."

With a shout of glee, Merry stood from the table and threw his fist in the air triumphantly. "_Yes!_" Seeing the rest of the Shire looking at him with either amused or bewildered expressions, and a slight eye roll from Sam, Merry added, "Ahem. I mean… nice choice. Very nice choice."

Laughter and applause filled the air. As Merry took his seat and Sam continued with his speech, Pippin turned to Diamond and gently nudged her. "So," he said with a mischievous gleam in his eye, "what do you suppose we'll name _our_ first child?" Her face overcome with surprise, Diamond squealed, "Oh, Pippin!" She reached over to hug him and gave him a kiss. A little disappointed, Pippin realized that his lips were still numb from the day before.

_Ah well,_ he thought contentedly._ It's only the first of many._


End file.
